How to Accept Credit Card Payments as a Small Business Updated 2026

Given how widely used credit cards are, it’s no surprise that most businesses accept credit card payments. Using a third party PSP such as Stripe might be a quicker and easier way to accept credit card payments. You can receive credit card payments online through your website by setting up a digital storefront. GoCardless offers an alternative to taking credit card payments. There are options to accept credit card payments over the interface.

  • They eliminate card processing fees and reduce the risk of chargebacks, providing more financial security for merchants.
  • Here, we will introduce you to how to take credit card payments and credit card processing for small businesses.
  • Before launch, test prices, taxes, fulfillment options, receipts, refunds, and order notifications.
  • If your business is online-only with no in-person sales, you don’t need physical hardware.

Credit card payments through social commerce

Set Up Payment Processing Solutions After approval, set up your payment processing solutions for accepting credit card payments. To accept credit card payments, some businesses may also require a merchant account for processing, depending on their specific needs. Businesses can accept credit card payments through various methods to enhance customer convenience and streamline transactions. In this article, we’ll break down the best ways for small businesses to accept credit cards and walk you through how to get started with credit card processing. Yes, you can accept credit card payments without a traditional bank account by using payment service providers.

Don’t get roped into purchasing hardware that isn’t compatible with your payment processor–you’ll be at risk of security and technical issues. Taken together, an embedded financial services provider can take these components and turn them into one seamless solution for you to process payments with, online and in-store. A good payment provider will also take care of your merchant account so you don’t have to worry about setting one up yourself.

PSPs are often said to be a good choice for small business owners or those just getting started due to their ease of use and transparent fees. You need one or the other to start accepting credit card transactions, and there are different benefits to each. If you’re running a brick-and-mortar store, you’ll need to take card payments in person using a physical card machine. Most of the time you’ll use it for payments over the phone, but it can also be used to take fax or mail orders. Process card payments over the phone using a virtual terminal—software that allows you to process card transactions remotely.

How to accept credit card payments in person

You do it through a virtual terminal, a secure web page from your provider. For most small shops, that’s the trade-off we’d pick. We wouldn’t leave a busy shop on flat-rate forever, though. They are only authorised if the cardholder has the funds to make the purchase.

How much does PayPal charge for credit card processing?

FreshBooks has you covered with an easy-to-integrate credit card payment option. FreshBooks Payments lets you choose from a variety of methods, simplifying the payment system for your customers and automatically including all purchases, fees, and other details in your usual financial reporting. FreshBooks supports a number of online payment options, including most major credit cards, ACH bank transfers, Apple Pay, Google Pay.

Embedded financial services include a POS and payments solution all in one, meaning all your needs will be covered under one provider. That means we manage and maintain casinos that accept credit cards your merchant account for you, ensuring that funds reach your business bank account efficiently and safely. Business owners who use non-integrated payment processors will likely have to open and maintain their own merchant account, which can be difficult and time-consuming. A merchant account is the bank account specifically established for your business to accept payments and manage funds.

The bank checks if funds are available and that the card hasn't been reported stolen. Data encryption is one of the best security practices for credit card payment security. Customers get cashback offers and customer loyalty programs on their credit cards. Using a credit card offers convenience to the user and the business in sending and receiving the payment. Similarly, choose software that offers advanced features along with inventory management.

How to Accept Credit Card Payments

Not only does its payment app help merchants manage all credit cards in one place, but it can also directly accept payments via QR codes and contactless methods. PayPal is one of the most popular credit card payment apps in the industry. You can accept chip and tap payments, save cards securely for future transactions, create customer profiles, and run itemized sales from a centralized product catalog. Its credit card payment app connects to a broader payment platform with inventory tools, customer profiles, invoicing, payment links, ACH payments, and a secure card vault with no monthly software fee. Helcim is a strong choice for growing small businesses that want more pricing transparency and account stability than a typical free payment app offers.

Accepting online credit card payments comes with a variety of benefits. Mobile credit card processing lets you accept payments anywhere using a smartphone or tablet with a mobile card reader or tap to pay. Square is our choice for the best credit card payment app because while it can handle a multitude of business functions beyond credit card processing, it is also simple enough for the hobbyist or solopreneur. Click through the sections below to learn more about credit card payment apps, how to use them, and how much they cost. Square is the best app for taking credit card payments because of its ease of use and free POS.

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